Memento
by Ivy Leaves
Summary: They're six and very different, but some things haven't changed...[I do evil things to IAHB people. Thanks to Aricraze. Yes, I know Tyler and Val didn't know each other in first grade! It's a story...]


Memento

Memento

Val Lanier wrinkled her nose at Tyler Connell and his team.

"I want to play football," she insisted, stomping her foot. "Not hopscotch."

"But you're a_ girl," _said Keith Farver, leaning over Tyler's shoulder. Six-year-old Val stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, so are you," she said, tossing her blond pigtails. Her best friend Caitie nodded at Keith from behind Val.

"Don't call me a girl," Keith commanded. Val rolled her eyes. She was tiny, but everyone knew her right hook was about as powerful as Hank Beecham's, which was saying a lot.

"Don't call me one," glowered Val.

"You are one," Keith pointed out. Val leaned in so that her eyes were inches away from his.

"Never. Call. Me. A. Girl," she said very clearly, punctuating her words with periods, her new favorite kind of speech.

"Okay, why don't we just let them play?" Tyler suggested, knowing he, being the captain of the team for today, would be blamed if a fight broke out. Besides, he didn't like fights.

Val nodded agreeably and clenched a fist in Keith's face.

"Fine, fine." Keith, though very chauvinistic, was smart enough to realize that people would make fun of him if he got his face punched in by a girl, not to mention a girl as tiny as Val.

"Thank you." Val lowered her fist and she and Caitie looked very innocently at the boys. "Now, whose team are we on?"

*

Ten minutes later, the boys had realized that Val and Caitie were very good at scoring goals and throwing the ball.

"I've got an older brother," Caitie explained to the sweaty boys after making her third goal. "He's on the Junior Varsity," she bragged, "and he teaches me and Val how t' play."

"No fair," complained Tyler, grabbing for the ball cradled under Val's arm. "And I'm going to kiss you if you don't give it back!"

"No!" shrieked Val, taking off with Tyler close behind.

"TyLER, TyLER, TyLER," began the chant of the boys. Caitie turned and planted her hands on her hips, scowling. Several of the boys began to say "Val, Val, Val, Val," much to Caitie's satisfaction.

"Don't kiss me, please," begged Val; aware her legs were much shorter than Tyler's.

"Give back the ball!"

The two blonds were running in circles around the jungle gym. The girls had joined in the clapping and cheering: "Val, Val, Val, Val," and a few who had a crush on Tyler, "TyLER, TyLER, TyLER!"

"Aiee!" Val screamed, scrambling up and over the jungle gym with Tyler following her.

"I want the ball!"

"Don't kiss me!"

"Ball!"

"No kiss!"

"C'mon, Val, just give me the ball!"

"No way!"

"Fine, I'll kiss you!"

"Noooo!"

"I want the ball!"

"Don't kiss me!"

On their eleventh trip around the jungle gym (Caitie had been counting), Val began to run out of power.

"Ball!" he yelled happily, pouncing.

"No!" Val returned, crawling up the slide with him on her tail.

"I'm going to have to kiss you!"

"I have cooties," argued Val.

"So do I!"

Val clutched the foam ball to her chest tightly.

"Nope," she insisted. "No kiss_ or _ball."

"Ball or I kiss you!" Tyler said, jumping in front of her, trapping her in the corner.

"No!"

"Ball!"

And with a final shake of her head, the small blonde girl sealed her fate. Tyler Connell kissed her. On the lips.

"Ew!" she said, wiping off her lips. Tyler followed suit.

"You do have cooties," he said with a smirk.

"I do not," she told him indignantly.

"Give me the ball or I'll kiss you again." His eyes gleamed. Val frowned.

"Nope."

"Fine!"

He kissed her again. Val shuddered. He was a good kisser, but she_ was _six, and she _was _a tomboy, and so she sacrificed the precious ball on the grounds he wouldn't kiss her again.

*

Ten years later, they stood staring at each other after a kiss that had lasted much longer than the first grade one.

"Playback of first grade," Tyler told her with a smile once he could speak with the shock. "Slow motion."

"A memento," Val agreed. "A memento."


End file.
